Shoulder pad



Feb. 15;, 1949. A. DIAMOND 2,461,881

SHOULDER PAD Filed Sept. 10, 1946 49L D/HMOND.

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOULDER PAD Al Diamond, New York, N. Y.

Application September 10, 1946, Serial No. 695,988

Claims. (01. 2268) This invention relates to shoulder pads for use in garment construction and more especially to pre-shaped shoulder pads molded to final form.

In garment construction, it is customary to employ shoulder pads to give the garment a desired squared-01f appearance. These pads must be inexpensive and capable of being made in large numbers of uniform size. Such pads are usually made of textile material containing a filler. It is difficult, however, to make shoulder pads so that they retain their given shape. Many efforts have been made to overcome this, such as by employing special fillers like jute or sisal which tend to retain the shapegiven to them or by cutting and shaping the covering materials in special ways. So far as I am aware, it has not been possible to produce shoulder pads heretofore which fully or satisfactorily meet requirements.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a shoulder pad which overcomes the disadvantages and shortcomings of prior shoulder pads and which incorporates advantages not heretofore available.

Another object of the invention is to provide shoulder pads of pre-shaped construction which not only retain the shape given to them but which also accommodate themselves to the wearer.

A further object of the invention resides in a shoulder pad which is molded to shape and which Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows the thermoplastic insert.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig.5.

Fig. '7 is an end view of the fully assembled pensive fabric. It is preferably oval in shape but may optionally be of circular or other shape. The numeral N indicates adhesive or cement for a purpose to be referred to hereinafter and the numeral l2 designates a central fold line area. The crinoline or buckram piece l3 of Fig. 2 is Of semi-circular shape having a diameter less than the shorter dimension of covering sheet 10 and adhesively secured in position on covering sheet II) but spaced inwardly from the periph ery thereof as generally indicated by the broken line M.

The circular bat or filler I5 is composed of a suitable material such as raw cotton and is of requisite thickness represented by the layers of Fig. 4. This bat is laid upon the covering sheet ill over the crinoline or buckram [3 in such position that one-half of the bat lies on either side of the center line area l2, above referred to. Then the thermoplastic piece It, of semi-circular shape and having about one-half the area of hat [5, is laid upon the bat overlying one-half thereof and finally the whole assembly is. folded over to give an arrangement like that shown in Fig. 7. The article of Fig. 7 is then placed between dies l! (the upper die) and I 8 (the lower die), each of which is provided with an electrical heating element designated by the numeral l9 and by means of which the dies can be heated. The cavity between the dies, when closed, is shaped so as to give the desired shape to the article of Fig. 7, and the pressure of the dies in conjunction with the heat resulting from the heating elements 19 deforms member IB and sets it permanently into the desired concavo-convex form. Member I6 is of plastic material set by heat but is sufficiently flexible or resilient in its molded form to enable it to yield enough to conform to the shoulders of the wearer of the garment. This member I6 is preferably composed of cellulose acetate having a thickness ranging from about 0.0075" to about 0.015" but may optionally be composed of any other light weight material which will retain its acquired shape and which will possess enough flexibility to yield to the shoulders of the wearer. It is important that the member I 6 be placed with its straight edge in the bight of the fold so that'it is not exposed at any point. The die molding operation also adhesively secures the semi-circular edges of the covering sheet l0, thus completely forming the pad,

The shoulder pad above described and constituting the present invention is sold in its molded form as above produced. I may, however, if I so desire, form the pad as above described but omitting the covering sheet in which event the covering sheet is subsequently applied as by sewing. When making the pad without a covering sheet, the bat pile is provided on its bottom with a sheet of paper wadding such as that commonly used in facial tissue.

Shoulder pads responding to the present invention are characterized by great uniformity and byihav-ing a: die-molded, pre-shaped curvature imparted'thereto. :The thickest, part of the pads lies in the center of the shoulder line of the wearer at the edge of the shoulder and the pads then taper toward the neck line and downwardly off the shoulder. Thus, my new shoulder pads have exceptionally high utility not shared by..any other shoulder pads, so far as I am aware.

The foregoing is intended as-illustrative' and not as limitative since other variationsmayebe resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope hereof. The invention is rather defined ytheapne d ims- Having thus described my invention,gwhat I cla m, .as new andsdesireto secure by Letters Pa nt, is:

between the .folds of such bat, a crinolinev piece onsaid folded bat and a covering sheet of textile material enclosing the whole and having itsedges securedtogether, said thermoplastic member and crinoline piece beingsemi-circular, said bat being circular, and said covering sheet being ovalshaped.

3. A pre-shaped arcuate shoulder pad comprising; a folded over hat, a thermoplastic member between the folds of such bat, a crinoline piece ing a semi-circular piece of cellulose acetate having a thickness ranging from about 0.0075"- 5. A method of making a pre-shaped shoulder pad which comprises forming a pile including a coveringsheet; abrinoline piece, a bat and a thermoplastic member, folding said pile and subjecting the folded over pile to the compressing action of heated dies having an arcuate cavity therebetween.

6; A method of .making a pre-shaped shoulder pad whichcomprises forming a pile including a covering sheet, a crinoline piece, a bat and a thermoplastic member of cellulose acetatehaving a thickness ranging from about 0.0075"- 0.015, folding said pile and subjecting the folded over pile to the compressing action of heated dies having an arcuate cavity therebetween.

ALDIAMOND.

REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record lnwthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number a .Name .Date

359,441 Goldman Mar. 15, 1887 374,120 Eastman Nov. 29,1887 2,172,499 Chassaing 'Sept. 12, 1939 7 2,414,534 Kaplan "Jan-.21, 1947 

